I'm looking for another place to work on a coding project outside of my home (which isn't working) and outside of my workplace. Do you have any suggestions? Do you have a secluded place where you can get things done?

I definitely agree with libraries being a good place, not only are they quiet with few distractions but for me they also set the right mental "tone" to do some creative mental work.

I live in the rural midwest and I've also found working outside to be very nice, especially this time of year when it's not too hot nor too cold. The ambiance of wind blowing through the trees and birds chirping is almost as good as a university library.

How about a friend who has a quiet area in his/her house? A friend of mine has a "media room" in his basement that is soundproofed which makes it nice for coding as well.

Do the trees in your corner of the midwest have electrical outlets yet? That's what I keep looking for around here... :)
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dwwilson66Nov 8 '13 at 12:42

@dwwilson66 - Sadly no, I still haven't been able to find an "outlet tree" :-) I figure the smart people will invent reasonably sized/priced portable fuel cells about the time I retire...
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Benny HillNov 8 '13 at 13:46

I'm not sure where you're located, but I'm in a mid-sized urban area, and in the past few years we've had a number of collaborative office and workspaces pop up. The concept is this: it's a large open workspace with a handful of conference rooms and offices. They're generally geared toward creative collaboration...web developers, graphic designers, ad agency types...and one usually pays a monthly membership fee for use of the space. The idea is that it's a space that startups or one-man-band outfits can use to keep down office overhead, but still have a place for meetings or working outside the home. Usually there's individual workspace, conferene rooms that can be reserved, a seating area for impromptu brainstorming sessions, and shared resources like coffee, printers, copiers, and sometimes even a receptionist. What I like about it is that there's always someone around with whom to engage if I need to.

Because I work in media production and web design, it's an excellent fit for me. When I'm coding, there are always other web developers around who can eyeball code if I'm stuck on something. If I'm copywriting, there are always some wordsmiths. Because I freelance, it's also a great way to network. I'm not sure if this is applicable to your situation.

As a freelancer who works from home, where my first and second places are separated by a wall and a doorway, the idea of a third place is NECESSARY to me to get things done. I'm a member of a number of these spaces for various reasons. One is hosted by a local marketing and communications company; that's the one I use when I'm working on a branding package for a client. Another is almost an incubator for web designers, touted as a place that's got that sleek agency look to impress potential clients, but cubicles with individual ethernet, basic desk supplies, etc.

Depending on how isolated you prefer and what your budget is, you may also want to look into a small office at a business startup incubator -- perhaps in a technology park where the amenities might be more suited to your projects. We have a place locally that's affiliated with out local technical college, and I was able to get a small office, maybe 150/200 square feet, for about $80.00 month. Not the most inspiring place to work, but it was quiet as a tomb, and with no distractions but the four bare walls, I managed to get a lot done.